Turkish officials say Turkish troops have killed 21 Kurdish rebels in a military operation in the southeast now into its fifth day.

The officials said Wednesday the clashes were in Diyarbakir province in the area of Goresi Mountain.

The Turkish military launched the ground and air strikes after identifying a group of rebels belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

The Turkish government is currently fighting against the PKK, which has waged a campaign for autonomy in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast. The fighting has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984.

Turkey, the European Union and the United States consider the PKK a terrorist group.